T20 World Cup is scheduled to take place in October.
Team India recently whitewashed Sri Lanka in the T20I series preceding the Test matches. India has now won three consecutive T20I series at home under Rohit Sharma's captaincy.
And all have come by a similar margin 3-0, against New Zealand (November), West Indies (February), and Sri Lanka now. In addition to the victories, India put their bench strength to the test in these games and have ended up with a happy headache – a plethora of options to choose from.
While the majority of the youngsters were used in the bowling department, Ishan Kishan and Ruturaj Gaikwad were put to the test in the top order. Gaikwad only played one game against the West Indies before being ruled out of the series against Sri Lanka due to injury, while Kishan struggled against the West Indies before slamming a fantastic half-century against Sri Lanka (89 off 56 deliveries).
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“In his previous series against West Indies, he didn't perform very well. But here, the way he played during his 85-run knock, it was incredible. His strength was in full display during that innings, especially against the short ball,” Bangar said on Star Sports.
In the build-up to the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia, India's former batting coach Sanjay Bangar insisted that Ishan Kishan is the favorite to play the opening role.
The former batting coach, who will take over as head coach for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL), also stated that Ishan will be the first choice even if he only plays "60-70 percent" of his potential.
“Once he finds his rhythm, he becomes unstoppable. He plays with a strike rate which India needs at the top order. In addition, he also provides the right-left combination at the top. So, even if he performs 60-70 percent of his ability, I believe that the team management will be heavily inclined towards him at the moment,” said Bangar.